Lonesome
by OrchideousQuietus01
Summary: Sam runs into an old student. He's feelings come rushing back. AN: this was suppose to be a one shot but the readers wanted more and I caved! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Sometimes I habit of writing one shots when I get stuck with SITW. I will update that soon! I was just struck with inspiration and wanted to write this in Sam's view. **

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"Mr. Evans?" he heard a voice called out his name. That took him by surprise he burnt his tongue with his hot coffee. He turns around holding his mouth from the pain of his tongue.

He swallows his coffee and his green eyes widen at the curvy brown skinned woman. How long has it been when I last saw her? He thought.

"It is you!" Her eyes lit up and she smiled from ear to ear. It was that smile that made teaching high school students less dull.

4 Years Ago

He parks his blue Chevy truck in the faculty parking lot. He looks at the familiar brick buildings of McKinley High School. Sam enters through the auditorium which is the quickest route to get to his room. He hears someone playing Broken by Seether featuring Amy Lee. No, it wasn't a CD, Sam waited to hear the male vocals in song but he heard the female voice singing both. He quietly opens the door and closes it right behind him.

There he saw, a full figure brown skinned young woman, singing her heart out with song. Lucky for Sam he enter from the back rows and sat in one of them in awed with her voice. She had her back away from the audience he couldn't tell who it was. He wanted to know badly who this woman was. He wonders if she looks good in the front as she did in the back.

"You know it's more effective if the audience can see your expressions as you perform." Said a voice from off stage.

The girl stopped singing and turned her entire body to the left of the stage. Sam knew who that voice belong to.

"Ms. Corcoran, I'm sorry for using your stage I'll get out of your way." Mercedes said as she stops the music on the stereo. Sam frozen she was a student. He couldn't believe on the first day of school year he was admiring a student's body. He couldn't help but admire her profile.

"Mercedes, stop." Ms. Corcoran said and Mercedes halts her movements. Sam knew Shelby was hard on her choir students, but that earned them a lot of wins and scholarships for those students. "I've been trying to get you to join Glee Club ever since last year. You have a power house voice and you won't let yourself shine. You're a star. Why do you keep running away from that?" Sam internally agreed with Shelby.

"I have to focus on keeping my GPA up so I wouldn't lose those scholarships." Mercedes said automatically like it was an overused phrase.

"That's not good enough. What do you truly want? Not what your parents or peers want for you. For once what do you want?" Shelby asked. Mercedes was stunned silence, "Don't tell me now. Come to me once you found your answer. I won't pressure you but I'll leave you with this thought. You belong on stage and you deserve to shine, Mercedes." Shelby spread out her arms gesturing the stage and then gave Mercedes a friendly squeeze on her shoulders. Sam understood that this was his queue to leave the auditorium.

As Sam left the auditorium to his classroom, his heart was beating rapidly. He became fully aware for his attraction for Mercedes. Sam hoped that she wasn't in any of his classes. Rarely did he have students sign up for Advanced Literature, but from Mercedes said about keeping her GPA and scholarships. It might be a possibility she would be in his class this semester. He opens the door to his classroom and locks it right behind him.

He opens the file cabinet that held the three class periods of sixteen to nineteen seniors he would teach this year. He quickly read the first period list of seniors and to make sure twice. It didn't help that he didn't know her last name but there was no Mercedes on that list. Relief wash over him for a second then panic struck him again there's two lists left. Second period, he read the list slowly and no Mercedes. He places the third period list in front of him, sixteen seniors and his last class of the day. He reads carefully down past the A's to E's to H's and read the last to the first name James Lucas, Jillian Cecilia, Jones Mercedes…there she was. Could it be possible there was more than one student named Mercedes in the school? He finishes reading his list and prepares that this Mercedes wasn't the one in the singing this morning. He hangs on to that ray of hope.

Sam cleared his mind of any thought of Mercedes and sorts out the syllabus for each class period. His first period was filled with nineteen students were smart and he started out with a game to wake them up. The award was a free homework pass for this week. That woke up the entire class and had them sweating about British Literature. A young dark skin man, Tony Miles, won the free pass. He did the same for the second period class they were a bit more ruthless than the first. An Asian girl, Tina Cohen-Chang won the free pass.

The bell dismissed the class it was time for his free period. He couldn't block out Mercedes. He was a 26 year old man and she a student. Maybe he could get someone to fill in for his class. Sam could lie about having several stomach and go into detail about his symptoms. Changing his mind he decided to get rid of those attractions and chanted in his head, 'She's a student.' That chant seems to help and ease his anxiety. The bell rang for the last class of the day. Was he ready?

Students filed in groups, pairs and singles. It seems as all the students filled in as soon as the late bell ranged. Mercedes wasn't there. Relief and a pang of disappointment hit him. He thank his lucky stars as he was about the close the door someone halt it. He saw a thick history book preventing him from closing the door. The students notice this and snickered. Someone was ballsy enough to stop him. He cracked the door open and there she was. There was a tint of blush forming on her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Evans." She apologized innocently. Her big brown doe eyes pleading forgiveness, she chewed the bottom of her plump lip and he thought was she purposely trying to seduce him? It was working and he couldn't help but stare at the beautiful girl…wait, snap out of it!

"You're late." Sam said with sternness.

"I know but I have a note from Mrs. Knox. I'm really sorry." Her face and sincerity remain the same.

Sam took the note as finger brushed with hers, he felt a fade spark. Mercedes eyes widen for a moment and Sam kept up his teacher face as if the spark didn't faze him. He smiled at her, gesture her in and she gave him a sweet big smile. That smile stabs him and he knew it would be much difficult as the class began.

Present Day

"Mercedes Jones?" Sam asked he put down his coffee and black leather folder. She looked the same full curvy, with a little weight lost, same stunning features and long dark wavy hair she kept. She wore a red pencil skirt, red high heels and white blouse. He notices the diamond ring on her left finger. His green eyes darken with jealously. She's married.

"Crazy to see you again!" Mercedes flashed him his favorite smile. It pains him to see her married.

"Yeah, I hate to cut this short but I have to run. I need prepare for this class." Sam lies.

"Oh you still teach at the high school?" She asked.

"No, at Ohio State." He said as his heart beating rapidly, "Good to see you Mercedes." He starts walking away he needed to breathe and then felt a gentle grab on his arm.

Mercedes was surprised at her action and Sam didn't know what to think of it, "Mr. Evans, you don't mind if we could catch up sometime?" she chewed her bottom plump lip.

He wished she didn't do that, "Sure, we can. You can call me Sam and I'm not your teacher anymore."

She blushes, "Okay Sam. Here's my number." She hands him her card and they gave each other a wordless bye.

He was shooting himself in the foot for accepting her number and to catch up. He gets in his same blue Chevy truck. At first he considers tossing the card outside and makes it seem he forgot about it. His brain wanted to know who she married and her life. Mainly to be with her again and his mind and body needed that. He places her card carefully in his wallet and drives off to the University.

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**I sort of left it hanging there may be a possibility that it won't be a one shot or I'll leave it like it is. Thank you for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, okay you the readers had me wanting to keep going with this story. I'm still unsure how far I will take it. Go with the flow I guess!**

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"Let me get this straight, you accepted to see her again but it's been three days now." Jamie said. Jamie was one of Sam's good friends plus is one of the professors at OSU. She didn't look like she would be a professor. She was a skinny olive skinned woman, short wavy jet black and teal hair, she had several visible tattoos on her neck and arms. She always wore smoky eye shadow and red lipstick. Her style of clothes looks like she belonged in a punk rock band. Jamie was wearing red platforms, tight black pants and an off the shoulder Korn shirt. Hard to believe she teaches History at OSU.

Sam nodded as he takes a sip of his beer, "I really don't know what to do."

"Aren't you a southern gentleman?" Jamie said in a fake twang.

"That's not the point, Jamie." Sam grim.

"Jesus, Sam! You've been losing sleep over this chick. Just call her up and catch up." Jamie gesture to the bartender for another beer, "Just put yourself out of your misery."

"She's a married woman. I don't think her husband will like it."

"Ugh men, thank God I date woman. Anyways, how do you know if she's married? Did you ask her?"

"No but…"

Jamie cuts Sam off, "Well maybe she's engaged or something. It's no big deal. Mercedes is a grown ass woman who knows what she is doing."

"I don't know."

"Tell me a little more about Mercedes. You mention you two had some sort of history. Break it down for me." Jamie smiles at Sam. He knew that Jamie was going to force him to call Mercedes. That's what friends are for positive enforcement.

4 years ago

Sam has been avoiding Mercedes for two months. He had ways to avoid her. When there was a question he asked Mercedes hand shot up first and hers was the only up. He would thank her for volunteering and point out another student to make them answer. It would earn him eyes rolls and groans from the students.

"Mr. Evans, why do you avoid me?" Mercedes asked him one day after was over. Usually all his students were eager to leave, not today.

He wanted to hunch his shoulders and sigh out, but he maintains his composure. He turns around to face her. That was his bad mistake. She was wearing a purple straight leg pant that hugs her bottom, sweetheart neck line golden yellow top and a black jacket. Every piece of clothing she owns hugged her curves. Her doe brown eyes were staring into his green eyes, she was concerned a hint of hurt too. Sam was doing so good avoiding her. One look into her brown doe eyes and he was a goner.

He smiles at her, "No, why?"

Mercedes didn't buy this, the hurt and concern vanished from her face replacing it was disappointment, "Mr. Evans, I know you have been avoiding me or ignoring me. Every time I want to answer a question or ask you a question, you would say 'I'm sorry I have to run." Do you treat any other of your students that way? Or is it just me?"

He was screwed at this point. No, he only treated her that way so his entire body wouldn't ache at the sight of her being in his classroom. It was a painful reminder that she was a student and he a teacher. Didn't she know what kind of effect she had on him? Her assignments and essays would blow him away. The way she had with her words, passionate, witty and brilliant. She was mature for age but still too young.

"Mercedes, I'm sorry for my actions towards you. I assure you that it will change." Sam said sincerely to her. He felt his chest tighten and he was forcing himself to let go of his feelings for her.

Mercedes smiles at him, "Thank you Mr. Evans." She leaves the classroom.

"Dude let me set you up on a date." Puck said as he eats a couple of fries. He didn't have a Mohawk anymore he was sporting a buzz cut these days.

"No, thank you." Sam said and he eats the last couple spoonfuls of chili.

"Why not?"

"Last time you set me up the girl ended up puking up her guts because she drank too much. Shall I mention the other girls?" Sam cocked his eyebrow up. Puck knew a lot single girls, mostly because they tried hitting him but directed them over to Sam.

"Fine, I thought you would have dated someone by now. Are you at least looking for a girlfriend?" Puck as he finished his beer.

Sam tried to date on his own. He really couldn't be in a relationship without thinking about Mercedes, "Yeah but it's not really working out."

"You should come to LA; there are more babes out there than Lima."

"I wonder what Lauren would say if she heard that come out of your mouth." Sam smirked.

"Hey, I'm in for Lauren all the way. She rocks my world." Puck said proudly. Sam knew Puck only had eyes for Lauren.

"I know. I'm fine with being by myself." Sam smiles at his best friend. They pay for their meals and walk out.

"It was good seeing you man, seriously think about coming down to LA sometime. You can crash with me and Lauren."

"I would like that. A vacation sounds good." Sam says as he and Puck share a hug. Puck drives off back to the airport. Sam wished Pucks visit was longer, but he only came to celebrate his mother's sixth birthday. Sam gets in his truck and heads back to his apartment.

Sam realized he had to grade a couple more students Weekly Poem assignments. He takes off of his shoes upon entering his apartment. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and plops down on his green comfy couch. He reads through a couple of his students poems. He loves the fact that his students can have a way with their words and reveal their inner struggles. He comes by Mercedes poem. Usually her poems were filled with confusion about her future. It was clear her desires are singing in the spotlight. Her poem this time was completely different.

Sam reads it out loud,

"Forest, is where I can find your stares.

I know I can be bare.

I want to be in your strong rough branches.

It hurts you can't wrap them around me. You are still."

Sam pauses he can feel her pain.

"Forest, is where I care to be.

Your scent drives me to the earth.

I must have the wrong birth."

His heart beating hard can he finish her poem?

"Forest, is where I am forbidden.

No, I yearn to stay longer.

Stand true but it gets harder."

Mercedes was talking about him. She wished to be with him but she knows it was wrong. He knows she's attracted to him. This can't happen, no, they can't happen.

"So, she wrote a poem about you?" Jamie asked

"That one poem was the start of many, our beginning." Sam said. Jamie eyes sparkles with interested. Jamie may appear tough but she was a sucker for romance.

"You can't stop now; you have to tell me more!" Jamie said enthusiastically.

"I will later but I have some papers to grade." Sam said with a chuckle.

"Oh come on! I have papers to grade too but I'm not eager to go home and do it!" Jamie was pouting now, "Fine."

They pay for their tabs, Sam walks Jamie to her black BMW, "Sam, think about calling Mercedes. There's nothing wrong with catching up with an old friend."

Sam sighs, "We were more than that."

"Well, you will tell me more tomorrow. Promise?" Jamie said.

"I promise." Sam smiles at her as she gets in her car and drives off. Sam gets in his truck and drives to his apartment. It was bit bigger than the one in Lima. He upgraded everything; he didn't want to be reminded of Mercedes. He kicks off his shoes as he enters his apartment, and looks through his mail. He sets his mail on the counters, grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and he goes into his room to undress. Sam may have upgraded his furniture and but his still had a permanent reminder of Mercedes with him.

As he takes off his shirt, their on his chest over his heart was a tattoo that read four lines:

'We have our own world, nobody can enter but us. We can always be entwine and be full of shine. When apart we carry each other's spirit. Our love keeps us strong.'

It was tattoo in Mercedes' cursive handwriting. She wrote those four lines before she left for LA. Sam touches each line gently on his chest; he wanted to show the day she left for LA. He decided not to, it would have made her stay with him. Sam finally gather up the encourage to call her.

Sam scrolls down his contacts and presses Mercedes name to call, on the third ring she answers, "Hello?"

"Hi, Mercedes." He answers. His heart was pounding loudly.

"Sam! How are you?" she said cheerfully.

Sam was relieved that she didn't sounded upset, "Pretty busy grading papers and such. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. How are you doing?"

"Good, I'm visiting my family before I start promoting my first album."

"Oh, wow. You did it Mercy!" Sam slips out the familiar nickname he gave her, "Congrats! I'm sorry I didn't know you had an album out. I've been a hermit."

She laughs, "It's okay, Sam. Thank you."

Sam blurts out, "I was wondering if you wanted to have coffee sometime this weekend?"

Mercedes pauses, "Is dinner okay? Seven o'clock Saturday?"

"Sure. Is there a place you had in mind?" Sam asked

"Remember that restaurant we used to eat at?" Mercedes asked him.

Sam remembers it as clear as day and the place was still running here in Columbus, "Yes, The Ink Quill."

"I'll see you there at seven. Goodnight Sam."

"Goodnight, Mercedes." Sam breathes out. Mercedes took the situation into her hands. The Ink Quill had a lot of memories of them and the first time they kissed. What was she thinking? What was he thinking?

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**Of course I'm going leave it hanging! SITW is almost done just need to tweak it. The next chapter will be delicious! I'm talking about food! Get your minds out of the gutter. **


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